Overcoming Negative Attitudes in a Pessimistic Economy

Spa Tech • Jan 06, 2009

Don’t let the losers crush your dreams! I can guarantee they will try. It’s up to you to prevent it from happening. This is actually one of the first and most important obstacles that any person needs to overcome when improving their life. The Dream Crushers are people who are having difficulty being successful so, in turn, they want to make sure that no one else is successful. 

For them, the first impulse is to tear down anyone who is improving their life or is optimistic and forward moving. When there is any bad news, the Dream Crushers feel vindicated and increase their activity. Invariably the Dream Crushers pop up to challenge any good news or optimistic statements, saying that the information is wrong and that they know that things are actually bad and getting worse. They site all the bad economic news as their proof. The only problem is, they are wrong. First, yes there are problems in the economy. Some places in the country have been hit very hard. So far, New England is not one of them. There has been a correction but for the most part, things are not as bad as the news makes it sound.

Second, there are people who are out of work but it’s still a small percentage in this part of the country. It’s just that we have been spoiled by unemployment below 4%. Compare this to unemployment rates of 8% in France, 9.1% in Germany and 7% in Russia. Our national rates have increased and Massachusetts is now at 5.9% and Maine is at 6.3% as of November. That’s not a huge increase over the norm and it simply does not support the notion that everyone is in financial trouble.

Third, it is having a minimal or even positive effect on the spa industry in this part of the country. In fact, many of our graduates and teachers are reporting that their business has actually increased. Why? Probably because people are not spending on lavish vacations, instead choosing to stay closer to home and get more spa services instead. The following information from the ISPA is interesting data on the current state of the spa industry in this country.

Spa Studies in the News

ISPA 2008 U.S. Spa Industry Update – The Big Five

During the General Session on Wednesday of the ISPA Conference & Expo, Colin McIlheney revealed the results of the latest Spa Industry studies and presented The Big Five – revenue, spa visits, locations, total employees and square footage in 2006 and 2007 and the % annual growth. They are:


  • As of June 2008, the number of US spas was 18,089 with Day Spas making up 80% of that number.
  • Industry revenue increased from $9.4 billion in 2006 to $10.9 billion in 2007. The revenue per establishment decreased from $624,000 in 2006 to $607,000 in 2007.
  • Spa visits increased by 25% from 2007 to 2008.
  • The industry square footage increased from 56 million in July 2007 to 60 million in June 2008. The square footage per spa decreased from 3,843 to 3,310 in the same time period.
  • Spa industry employment increased for the industry and establishments from July 2007 to June 2008. It’s interesting to note there was a steep drop in employment per establishment between 2002 and 2003 (by about 1/3) that has remained fairly constant.

The summary included:


  • The number of spa locations in the US has grown an average of 20% in the last eight years.
  • Location growth continues to outpace revenue growth.
  • Visits per spa have leveled out.
  • Total industry revenues have been growing an average of 13% since 1999.
  • The increase in spas and consumer demand has led to an increase in overall spa employment of 31%.

The point is, the industry has been growing rapidly. Whenever this happens there are a lot of people who jump in who are under qualified and have more dollars than sense. However, the people who have excellent training, run an energetically high quality and efficient organization and do a good job retaining clients have very solid and sustainable businesses, even during difficult economic times.

What happens when an economy contracts are that the weak companies disappear and the strong ones get stronger. The people who have the best training and have the skills to succeed will actually be busier than ever when the economy picks up again because there will be less competition. I have seen this in many industries over the years (the advantage of being old). That’s why this is a great time for people to get the training they need to take advantage of the coming recovery in the economy. All contractions are followed by a surge of demand.

So don’t let the Dream Crushers step on your dreams for the future. Make a plan for your future and get the highest quality training you can get to make you successful. It may take hard work, dedication, and resilience to fulfill your dreams, but in the end, there is no better life than one that is based on doing what you love.

We look forward to helping you succeed.

Sincerely,

Kris Stecker

President Spa Tech Institute

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